A current deliverable focus of many automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is mobility and mobility-related solutions. Customers want the benefits of a networked environment, and this environment can be enhanced through crowdsourcing. Further, if given the option, many customers would participate in crowdsourcing that can help add information to a network from which those customers benefit. At the same time, participants like to maintain a level of privacy (e.g., a participant in crowdsourcing information at his/her vehicle location may not want personal location information transmitted, tracked, and associated with the vehicle at all times). One application that can benefit from crowdsourcing is locating missing assets.
One present example of plate identification includes an identification device characterized in that: a video camera is connected with an image processing circuit; the image processing circuit is connected with a license plate positioning circuit; the license plate positioning circuit is connected with a license plate character segmentation circuit; the license plate character segmentation circuit is connected with a license plate character identification circuit; and the license plate character identification circuit is connected with a computer. The image processing technology for vehicle license plate identification has the advantages and beneficial effects that: the work is automatic and the installation is convenient.
In another example, a method for identifying vehicle license plates includes mounting a server apparatus, and establishing a vehicle database and a vehicle license plate identification library in the server apparatus to generate vehicle data and a vehicle license plate identification program; establishing a communication link, and receiving the vehicle data and the vehicle license plate identification program by the mobile device, and installing the vehicle license plate identification program and storing the vehicle data; capturing a license plate number of a vehicle by a camera module mounted in the mobile device for generating an image and then analyzing the plate number in the image by an analyzing program to generate an analysis result; comparing the analysis result with the vehicle data by a comparison module of the mobile device for generating a comparison result; and displaying the comparison result.
In yet another example, a vehicle tracking and locating system provides information to a user about a vehicle of interest, and includes a database controller in operative communication with a database, and configured to receive data corresponding to vehicles from a plurality of client sources, and configured to save the data as information records corresponding to each client source. A plurality of external communication devices transmit a data request by the user corresponding to the vehicle of interest. A request server receives the data request in one a variety of communication formats. An input request processor operatively coupled to the request server is configured to obtain information records from the database corresponding to the data request. An output processor operatively coupled to the request server provides data of interest from the obtained information records for transmission to the respective communication device to satisfy the user request.